FWPD West Division Newsletter

July 2024 Volume 1

Fox 4 DFW features the Fort Worth Police Department's Real Time Crime Center

By Dionne Anglin

FORT WORTH, Texas - The city of Fort Worth unveiled what it believes will give police extra eyes on the street.

The police department is expanding its real-time crime center where officers monitor more than eleven hundred cameras in the city.

Whatever you see happening on the streets of Fort Worth can likely be seen at the new Fort Worth Fusion Center.

"The amount of intelligence we’re able to feed the officers in the field is drastically changing," said Fort Worth Police Lt. Ward Robinson.

Fort Worth police are pulling back the veil on its real-time crime center, a hub of technology with an around-the-clock staff.

"We want to be able to control how we move into a scene in a lot more tactically advantaged position," Robinson said.

The new center boasts views via more than 1,150 cameras. They have gunshot detection with pinpoint ability within a five-mile radius, license plate reader capability and more. 

"A citizen calls 911 and says this is happening, a robbery, a burglary, somebody driving fast in our neighborhood. Whatever it may be that’s causing them to call 911, we’re monitoring that," said Fort Worth Police Sgt. Joe Shipp.

Police point to scenarios where the technology is giving them an advantage such as the recent mass shooting in the Las Vegas Trail community. A captured license plate number eventually led to several suspects. 

"It’s a partnership between the police department and community members, different vendors. Maybe, we utilize their technology" said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. "And lastly, just making sure residents really that to keep people safe, it’s really our priority to make sure we’re integrating all these different opportunities."

Police say the evolving technology is not meant to infringe on the privacy of citizens but rather safety is the priority.

"Approximately 98% of those are overt cameras. We’re not hiding them. We’re not trying to disguise them," Robinson said. "We’re not doing anything to try and hide the fact that we’re using these cameras."

"Our number one thing is safety," Shipp said. "Safety for the officers, safety for the citizens and ultimately even safety for the actors that are committing the crimes.

LAKE COMO IN FT. WORTH WINS COVETED 'NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE YEAR' AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN LUBBOCK

By Isabella Rodriguez

Published on May 27, 2024

Ft. Worth's Lake Como neighborhood has clinched the title of Neighborhood of the Year, a top honor dished out at the Neighborhoods USA Conference in Lubbock, local leaders announced.

The Lake Como Neighborhood Advisory Council nabbed the grand prize along with first place in the Social Revitalization category, according to the City of Fort Worth – confirmation that the group's tireless efforts in civic engagement and community development made waves on a national scale. They've set a new standard for local governance and grassroots mobilization.

Established under the Citywide Citizen Participation Plan of 1982, this Fort Worth neighborhood council aims to, as detailed in the City of Fort Worth, "Promote civic spirit and encourage members, partners and institutions to work together for the common good," while also working toward improving public facilities and collaborating with government to tackle local issues.

The council's proactive approach is clear through their formation of dynamic committees that include a crime task force, a communication team, and the Lake Como Wellness Council, among others — signs of a deeply-rooted commitment to enhance the quality of life for their residents, foster goodwill and ultimately leverage public funds for impactful community projects.

Neighborhoods USA (NUSA), the nonprofit behind the conference celebrated since 1975, is dedicated to bolstering neighborhood groups across the country, encouraging a landscape where such organizations network and partake in partnerships that span the public and private sectors to better local communities.

At the conference, crowd cheers and applause erupted as the NUSA board and judges congratulated Lake Como council representatives, Carol Brown and Kendra Williams, immortalized in a photo op that was as much a nod to their success as it was a rallying cry for other community leaders to follow in their footsteps.

West Division's McGruff the Crime Dog makes guest appearance at Kids R Kids Preschool in North Division

Just like every good baseball team needs a reliable pinch hitter, West Division COP volunteer Bob Bienski came through in the clutch by filling in as McGruff the Crime Dog at a recent "Reading with a Cop" event at Kids R Kids Preschool in North Division.  Approximately, 90 preschoolers attended the event as NPO Cantu from North Division read a book to the children titled Officer Buckle and Gloria.

Habitat for Humanity hosts FWPD and Cook Children's for presentations on crime prevention and injury prevention

On June 1, 2024, Habitat for Humanity hosted the FWPD and Cook Children's to educate new homeowners on crime prevention and injury prevention. Crime Prevention Specialist Mitsuhashi along with NPO Grinalds (L16) spoke to the homeowners about the steps they can take to keep themselves, their property and their homes safe.  Cook Children's gave a presentation on injury prevention for children covering topics including baby safe, child car seat safety, gun safety, poison prevention and water safety.

Coffee with a COP

On June 5, 2024, King District NPOs, CIT officers French and Branham along with their K-9s Wookie and Echo attended a recent Coffee with a COP event at Starbucks in Montgomery Plaza. Patrons had the opportunity to meet with the officers in a relaxed atmosphere to ask questions or voice their concerns about issues that were of particular interest to them.

2024 Fort Worth Library Summer Reading Kickoff Party

On June 1, 2024, the Fort Worth Library held their summer reading kickoff party. Approximately, 600 youngsters and their families attended the festivities.  NPOs Johnson (K12) and Villagomez (K11) were in attendance to participate in the festivities.

Local business installs Hide Lock and Take signs on their property

Interconnect Wiring has strategically installed Hide Lock and Take signs on their property to remind employees to make sure that they Hide their things, Lock their vehicle and Take their keys.  Following these simple steps will help reduce the number of vehicle break-ins that occur.  A limited number of signs are available to any business that would like them. The only requirement is to take pictures of the signs once they are installed on your property and send them to Steve.Mitsuhashi@fortworthtexas.gov. 

NPO Corner

Lincoln District NPOs provide uniform security for Governor Abbott. Lincoln District NPOs Paul McEwan (L17) and Juvier Bryant (L18) recently provided uniform security on a recent visit to Fort Worth by Governor Abbott.

NPOs visit students at All Saints Episcopal School and Lil Goldman Early Learning Center

NPO Paul McEwan (L17) recently participated in a Paw Patrol Day Camp at All Saints Episcopal School while NPOs Janzen (K17), Morquecho (K14), Villagomez (K11) along with South Patrol Officer J. Garcia had the chance to visit with the youngsters at the Lil Goldman's Early Learning Center as they celebrated Community Partner Day.  At both events, the children got to visit with the officers and learn about the equipment that they use on a daily basis including their police vehicle.

NPO Ehirim and CPS Mitsuhashi speak at a recent Crime Free Multi Housing Safety Social. NPO Ehirim (L15) and Crime Prevention Specialist Mitsuhashi recently spoke at a recent Crime Free Multi Housing Safety Social hosted by Westchase Apartments.  Residents in attendance had the opportunity to learn about various proactive steps that they can take to keep themselves, their property and their residence safe. NPO Ehirim was available to answer specific questions raised by some of the residents. A special thank you goes out to Adrian Aldaz who volunteered to translate for NPO Ehirim and me to the predominately Spanish speaking audience.

NPO Roster

What are NPO’s? 

**Enter your address on http://oneaddress.fortworthtexas.gov/ You will find your BEAT and NPO assigned as well as your nearest City Facilities, Services, and Crime Data. 

By having the Neighborhood Patrol Officers dedicated to specific geographic areas, the officers are not only able to become more familiar with the area than regular patrol officers, but they are also able to serve as a resource for and get to know area residents and business owners, learn about neighborhood concerns, and build working relationships with area Citizen on Patrol volunteers to work hand-in-hand in reducing neighborhood crime and promoting crime prevention tools. 

Primary Duties: 

• Work with crime analysts to identify crime trends within assigned neighborhoods, maintain open lines of communication with detectives, and assist the Information Management Section and supervisors in planning appropriate actions to address issues. 

• Foster positive community leadership as a means to empower citizens within their neighborhoods by encouraging involvement in Citizens on Patrol, Citizen Police Academy, and Crime Watch to work collaboratively to reduce crime and promote crime prevention tools. 

• Maintain open lines of communication between residents, business owners and the police department by attending community meetings and events, including neighborhood association and other community meetings. 

• Recruit Citizen on Patrol volunteers, schedule them for training, and provide on-going training and correspondence to encourage and retain active memberships. 

211 Texas - Connecting People and Services

No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1, or (877) 541-7905, and find information about resources in your local community. Whether you need help finding food or housing, child care, crisis counseling or substance abuse treatment, one number is all you need to know. 

Essential Cyber Safety Tips for Mobile Users

Published June 9, 2024, in the Fort Worth Roundup

• Complete Power Off: Once a week, completely power off your device for 15-30 seconds before turning it back on. This practice clears the phone’s memory and helps fend off certain zero-day attacks.
• Disable Unused Features: Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, and location services when not in use. Reducing the number of active features minimizes potential entry points for attackers.

• Beware of Links: Avoid clicking on links in emails or text messages. Phishing and smishing (SMS phishing) are common methods used by cybercriminals to infiltrate your device.
• Close Pop-ups: If you receive a suspicious pop-up message, force close the application instead of interacting with the pop-up, as they are often malicious.

• Stay Updated: Regularly update your device's system software and applications. These updates often include vital security patches.
• Review Apps: Periodically review and remove apps you no longer use. This reduces the number of potential vulnerabilities on your device.

• Avoid Rooting/Jailbreaking: Do not modify your device’s operating system through rooting or jailbreaking. This compromises the built-in security features of your phone and can introduce malicious software.
• Use Trusted Accessories: Only use charging cables from reputable sources and avoid public USB charging stations, which can be compromised to deliver malicious software.

Community Center Calendar

LVT Rise Community Center

Thomas Place Community Center